Canada’s trade dispute with the United States has taken a dramatic turn, with Prime Minister Mark Carney describing the confrontation as a full-blown “war” — and President Trump firing back with a sharp accusation about Canada’s relationship with the U.S.

“We were attacked. You’re at war when you get attacked. We got attacked,” Carney told reporters Saturday. “That’s fine. We’ve got the reserves. We’ve got the resilience. We’ve got the plan. We’ve got the focus. We will respond.”

Carney also criticized the Trump administration for allegedly pressuring Canada into accepting “a bad deal.” The escalation came after the Trump administration imposed a steep 50% tariff Saturday on an array of Canadian goods, including beer, cheese and electronics.

The tariffs would cover an estimated $28 billion worth of imports and come on top of existing duties on aluminum, lumber, vehicles and steel.

Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Canada over trade and has mused about the country becoming a 51st state, took aim at Ottawa in a Sunday post on Truth Social.

“Canada wants the benefits of being a State, without being one!!! They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of Tariffs. No more!!!” Trump declared.

Carney vowed to retaliate, while blaming the collapse of trade talks on last-minute demands from Washington. The Canadian prime minister also alleged that Trump was attempting to undermine Canada’s sovereignty.

“It’s a power play. And it becomes a question of sovereignty,” Carney said. “We’re a proud independent country. We’ve got the right values. We’ll make our decisions about who we want to trade with and how, and including on how we work with the United States and other partners.”

Carney further alleged that Trump was demanding Canada “change its French language, Quebec culture and Canadian identity as a condition for reversing tariffs.”

“This is no longer about a trade deal — it is about a takeover of Canada’s sovereignty and identity,” he added.

At the center of the dispute was whether language and cultural barriers in Quebec were undermining U.S. trade there.

Carney, a former central banker, said Canada’s retaliatory tariffs against the United States will take effect Sept. 8. He said Canada will match the U.S. tariffs “dollar for dollar.”

But Washington has already warned that any retaliation could trigger another response. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada has long enjoyed exceptionally favorable access to the American market.

“For decades, Canada has enjoyed the most favorable access to the U.S. market of any country. And from the beginning of President Trump’s trade program, Canada has continued to enjoy the best treatment in the world,” Greer said in a Friday statement.

The escalating trade fight could also become a political issue in Senate races in Michigan and Maine, two states with significant trade ties to Canada.

Trump is using Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose the duties. The provision allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 50% on imports from countries that discriminate against American commerce.

With both sides now threatening retaliation and the dispute expanding beyond tariffs into questions of sovereignty, language and national identity, the confrontation between the two longtime North American trading partners is entering a far more consequential phase.